Kerbal Space Program Blog

Designer 3D Prints now available!

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:27:31 -0500

Ever wanted to hold a Kerbal in your hand, look him right in the eye and maybe even congratulate him for surviving a particularly perilous trip? Well now you can! Introducing our limited edition 3D printed figurines with the IVA lineup, have Bob, Bill and Jeb on your desk today!

You can find them at http://www.shapeways.com/shops/kerbalspaceprogram

Official KSP Merchandise Store now available!

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:49:00 -0500

Have you always wished there was a way to show the world that you manage and advanced space exploration center in your free time? Well, wish no more! SQUAD is proud to release a brand new line of KSP merchandise to satisfy your representation desires. Want a cool shirt? A space center mousepad? Just click here: http://www.cafepress.com/KerbalSpaceProgram

KSP 0.20 released!

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:24:00 -0500

Strap on to your seat and strap your seat on to a rocket, 0.20 is here!

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/30553-KSP-0-20-Released

New Milestone Reached!

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:28:21 -0500

Squad is happy to announce the .20 update is now in the last pre-release phase: Experimentals! Ready your flags and strap down to your oddly positioned seats, release will soon be upon us!

Sincerely,

— The KSP Dev Team

A New System for a New Age

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:27:42 -0500

In an effort to improve both the bond with the community as well as increase your knowledge of of the KSP development process, SQUAD is proud to introduce the KSP Development Milestone System.

Through it, the community will be kept informed of every and any development milestone the Dev team hits. You’ll know when development begins on a new patch, when it reaches QA, when the game reaches Experimental phase and finally the instant new versions are released.

Want to know more? Keep your eyes on this very space.

Sincerely,

— The KSP Dev Team

KSP Forums and SpacePort are back up; Important Notice for Forum Members

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:43:00 -0500

Hi,

So, we finally have our Forums and SpacePort back up. However, these good tidings come with some unfortunate ones. Here’s what happened:

Last week, the server that hosts SpacePort and the KSP Forums started getting slower and slower until the sites were pretty much unusable. We eventually had to shut it down, but by that time the damage was done. The slowness was coming from an excessively high number of idle connections, which may or may not have been related to a global denial-of-service attack that affected thousands of sites last week. Whether or not that was actually the case for us is hard to tell, but in any case, the end result was that we ended up with a server so broken, it needed to be wiped out completely and reinstalled from scratch.

We keep regular backups of all our databases, exactly for situations such as this. Spaceport was restored just fine. However, due to a fault in our backup process that went largely unnoticed until now, the most recent snapshots we had for the Forums were partially corrupted or incomplete.

We’ve been able to get the Forums back up, but on some areas of the database, we were forced to revert to older backups, in some cases reaching as far back as October. This means that unfortunately there’s been some data loss, mainly affecting threads and most grievously, user accounts.

If your account dates from before October last year, you should be fine. However, if you created your account recently, there’s a good chance it will be missing, in which case you’ll have to re-create it.

Rest assured though, this does not in any way affect your Store account. Those live on a separate database on a separate server, and they’re perfectly fine, so your store profile is safe. This issue only affects forum accounts.

Regardless, we are aware this is big a setback for a lot of people, and we sincerely apologize for it. Despite all our efforts, there was nothing we could do to get all the data back. We’re still working hard on getting everything we can salvage from the partial backups we have though, so we can bring back as much content as possible.

Needless to say, we’re setting up a new, much more robust backup system, to make sure this never happens again. We are also adding in new security systems to minimize damage from attacks like that as much as possible.

Once again, we deeply apologize for the inconvenience.

Sincerely,

— The KSP Dev Team

Expansions, DLC and the future of KSP

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 17:18:00 -0500

Hello everyone.

We’ve been following closely the ongoing debate about Expansion Packs and DLC on KSP, and after Felipe’s previous explanation about the things that sparked the discussion, we’ve noticed that there are still a few areas that were left pending and that require an explanation:

Above all, is the admittedly quite grey area concerning what constitutes an update or an expansion to KSP and most importantly, what our promise of “all future updates for free” actually means.

We realize there is more than one way to interpret that. Regardless of whether ‘updates’ implies ‘expansions’ or not, it’s quite obvious now that we need to rephrase that statement so everyone knows exactly what they’re getting when they purchase the game.

However, it became clear to us that many might have already taken that statement to mean something else than we did when they bought the game, and so had a different notion of what it was they were getting with their initial purchase.

So given that this was a point of confusion, and that we believe that no matter what, a promise is a promise, we are including Expansions in what you can expect to get for free if you have already bought the game. Also, for those considering purchasing the game, we will maintain this promise for all purchases made until the end of this month (April, 2013).

We have to admit though, up until now, we hadn’t considered Expansion Packs to be the same as updates to KSP. That was in large part because we really had no plans for actual expansions at all.

But as you can imagine, over the course of the 2 and a half years we’ve been developing KSP, we’ve come across many ideas that we thought were very cool, but didn’t really fit the original scope of the game. Those would have led us astray from our vision of the complete game, not to mention that they could take many months, if not years, to implement.

Those ideas are massive undertakings, which is why we’d like to have them as optional additions, so we could have them without having to stretch the scope (and deadlines) for the main game.

So this is what we mean when we say Expansion Packs for KSP. We’re not talking about small content bundles, we’re talking about major game-changing sets of features, like Multiplayer, or Colonization. Things that add not just content, but new gameplay possibilities. Things that might not fit the initial concept very well, but we think are too cool to just cut off forever.

Please keep in mind though, that this isn’t us announcing or promising any particular Expansion Packs yet. We’re still quite a long way from that. Our one focus right now is to complete KSP, that is why career mode is the priority now. Once we get to what we can call a complete game, we’ll see where we go next from there.

We hope that this clears away all of the confusion surrounding this topic, and also that no one is left with the impression that we would ever do anything to upset our players. We take pride in being very open and honest about what we do and how we do it, and we all felt very hurt at some of the accusations that were thrown at us these last few days.

Above all else, our goal is to make an outstanding game, and we sincerely hope everyone sees that we have nothing but the best intentions towards our work and our community. As always, we will be listening wholeheartedly to our community’s feedback, concerns and ideas throughout this whole process and we will not slack off.

Here’s a big thanks to everyone for all the continued support, and a heartfelt apology to all those who felt wronged in any way over this matter.

Sincerely,

— The KSP Dev Team

Kerbalizer in the App Store and Google Play

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 15:44:00 -0600

Kerbalizer is now available in the App Store and Google Play!

Cheers

- Team KSP

Steam Keys are up.

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:37:00 -0600

Yeah, you heard right, we’ve got steam keys up and available for all who want them. Below is a FAQ and link to the official post about Steam Keys.

Q. Does everybody get a Steam Key?
A. No, only customers who bought the game before it was available on Steam, the deadline is March 20th 2013 at 1:00 pm GMT -6:00

Q. How do I go about Transferring my copy of KSP to Steam?
A. You’ll need to log into your store profile page, scroll down to where your profile shows the option to download KSP and click on “Optional Steam Transfer”

Q. Will Steam get updates before everyone else?
A. No, all updates will be sent to all builds for all Operating Systems and distribution methods at the same time.

Q. “Is this Process Reversible?”
A. In the event there is a problem with the transfer, and you can provide evidence of a failed transfer, we may be able to reverse the process.

Q. “Is this required?”
A. Only if you wish to use Steam as your main means of updating KSP. This entire system is optional and those that do not wish to use steam or do not have Steam accounts are not required to use this system.

Q. “If I opt out, then what?”
A. You will still receive updates via the KSP Store, and the upcoming patcher as normal.

Q. “Who do I contact for support?”
A. In the event of a website issue or an issue with our network, contact the following: support@kerbalspaceprogram.com
In the event of an issue with a Steam Key, or other Steam Related issues please contact Steam Support: https://support.steampowered.com/

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/entry.php/611-Optional-Steam-Transfer

KSP Is now on Steam!

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:35:00 -0600

You heard it right! We’re on steam!

Below is a link to the official forum post as well as the QA, please take a look!

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/content.php/151-KSP-Now-Available-on-Steam

Q: If I’ve already bought the game on the KSPStore, can I switch over to Steam?
A: The answer to that is Yes, but not right now. We are going to set up a system on our store where you’ll be able to get a Steam key for KSP provided you already have purchased the game. However, we are still working on the exact details of this feature, so it’ll likely be a while until that’s set up. We’ll of course let you know when that becomes available.

Q: What platforms are supported on the Steam version?
A: KSP is available on Steam for all three platforms (Win, Mac and Linux), and the Demo is also available on all of them as well.

Q: What is this Early Access thing you speak of?
A: I think Valve can explain it better than we can.

Q: Is this in any way related to the 0.19 update being smaller than usual?
A: You’ve probably figured out already this is one of the main reasons we cut the 0.19 update short. We wanted KSP to look its best for the release, so we decided to get the reentry fx, animations and all the other features out in time for it. The shorter update cycle worked out nicely for us though, so we’ll try to maintain that flow for future releases as much as possible. The patcher should also be ready by then.

Q: Speaking of patcher then, how does that work with Steam?
A: Steam has its own update system, so for the steam version of the game, we’ve turned off all version-tracking features in KSP. The Steam version will update automatically when we publish new builds, so it all happens without the need of any external tools. The patcher will only be used for the KSPStore-bought version of the game.

0.19 out? You betcha!

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 18:20:00 -0600

We’re happy to announce a new release of KSP. This update was a bit of a turning point in our usual way of doing things. These are the most important new features:

* Linux Support:
There is now a native Linux version of KSP! Official support for Ubuntu 12.04, but it should work on most distributions.

* Atmospheric Effects:
Watch your spacecraft flare up as they re-enter the atmosphere, and produce vapor trails during high-speed flight.

* New Kerbal Animations:
The Kerbals got a massive overhaul on their facial expressions! The new Expressions system uses the new Mecanim animation engine from Unity, giving Kerbals a lot more expressiveness. Watch their faces distort in total panic or gleeful joy, now also when you’re out on EVA.

* Rover Wheels:
Drive across the surface of other worlds with the new rover wheel parts, which are steerable and self-powered. Construct anything from tiny unmanned rovers, to exploration buggies, to huge mobile contraptions.

* Graphical and Scenery Improvements
We’ve got a New Launchpad model at KSC, with 100% less launch tower, a new Runway, and much improved night-time lighting, making for greatly improved visuals, especially at night.

* More New Parts
We’ve added several new parts for general construction. Featuring panels, girders, and a lot more!

For more information, check out the forum post by our lead developer:
http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/content.php/148-KSP-0-19-Released!

-Team KSP

A Change of Plans: Words from the Lead Developer

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 11:41:42 -0600

Hello everyone!

We’d like to take a moment to direct you to our official forums for a word from the Lead Developer of Kerbal Space Program. He’s got some information for you regarding the possible update cycle of KSP. Please be sure to give us feedback, and tell us what you think!

-KSP CM Team

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/entry.php/562-0-19-Update-A-Change-of-Plans

Paysafecard, new payment method available

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:49:00 -0600

Hi guys!

We know that for some of you, Paypal is not a good option and that you had experienced issues while paying with it.

Because of that, we decided to allow another secure and easy payment method for you to use.

Pay safely online without a bank account or credit card? Well, you can now buy through KSP Store with Paysafecard.

It’s available in 32 countries including USA. Canada, EEA (European Economic Area), Switzerland, Croatia, etc.

For more information visit: http://www.paysafecard.com

Cheers.

- Team KSP

KSP 0.18.4 is out!

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 18:26:24 -0600

Hi again!

Now that the demo is out, it wouldn’t do to have a demo that’s actually a later version than the full game, would it? So we’re now releasing the 0.18.4 patch.

This patch is a small revision to the game, mainly focusing on porting KSP to the much more awesome Unity4 engine. It also has several bug fixes, and a new stock spaceplane, the Ravenspear Mk4.

Since our new patcher isn’t ready yet, we’re releasing this one as a full download from our Store.

We’re not using the old patcher anymore, so don’t try to get this patch using it (not a challenge. you’d probably just get an error, or worse, break your install).

This patch shouldn’t break compatiblity. Saves and vessels from 0.18.2 should all be compatible with this build (No guarantee on saves from earlier versions than that though).

For more information and the changelog, check here

Happy Launchings!

Cheers

Happy Valentines Day!

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:17:24 -0600

Happy valentines day from all of us at Squad! Thanks for being our friends for these last few years! We look forward to many more!

-Team KSP

New KSP Demo out now!

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:12:00 -0600

A new Demo? Yeah! You heard right! Better than ever!

This new demo is based on KSP 0.18.2, so it has all the newer systems, with several restrictions, of course. Here are the main differences:

* Part loading limited to the 25 stock ones.

* No Plugin loading.

* SPH and Runway Facilities are unnaccessible.

* Only one save profile allowed.

* Cannot launch new flights if 3 or more are already in progress.

* Kerbin, the Mun and the Sun are the only celestial bodies in the solar system.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/content.php/138-A-New-Demo!

Team KSP

Star Trails, the Beauty of Space from the ISS

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:00:00 -0600

http://laughingsquid.com/long-exposure-images-of-iss-star-trails-by-astronaut-don-pettit/

Don Pettit, a NASA Astronaut shot some amazing photo’s from the ISS During 2012 and thanks to Laughing Squid’s article, we all get a chance to see them and bask in their beauty.

These are some amazing images, we hope you like them as much as we do.

-Team KSP

Note: The above image is taken from the article.

Do you dream of Space?

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:20:34 -0600

Win a chance at Space with Kerbal Space Program!

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/38898-Kerbal-Fans-Dream-of-Space

Happy Holidays!

Tue, 25 Dec 2012 15:30:42 -0600

Happy Holidays from Team KSP!

We’re all taking a much needed holiday break, and we’ll see you next year for another series of content rich, feature full updates!

Stay safe, Happy New Year and Happy Holidays!

-Team KSP

Happy Birthday Damion!

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:09:27 -0600

Hello, I’m Anthony Keeton aka (Damion Rayne) and I’ve been into Space, Science, and Technology for many many years. I started playing Kerbal Space Program in version 0.9 and joined the forums as a Volunteer Moderator around version 0.10 a year ago. This last year I’ve made friends with the dev team and helped in many areas and tried my best to give to the community. I’m now on the team an loving every minute of it, it’s an opportunity I just couldn’t pass up. After five years in the military and multiple job changes over the last few years, I’m working for a company and a project or product that I believe in. KSP has grown so much over the last year, and I can’t wait to see where we go next.